Plumb-bob-supporting mechanism



March 16 1926. Q 1,577,133

M. J. LEARNIHAN PLUMB BOB SUPPORTING MECHANISM Filed March l9, 1923 v INVENTOR.

- /V(1Z ATTORNEY.

"Fig.

Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

,UNITED, STATES I M CHAEL J.LEAB,NII-IA1\T, or KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

PLUMIB-ZBOB-SUPPORTING MECHANISM.

Applie ation filed March 19, 1923. Serial No. 626,630.

To all whom it may concern."

: Be itknown that I, ,MICHAEL J. LEARNI- HAN, a citizen-of the United States, residing atKansas City, in thecounty of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inPlumb- Bob-Supporting Mechanism, of which the following is a'specification.v p "My invention relatesto improvementsin plumb bob supporting mechanisms. It rerelates" particularly to a mechanism' which employs 'aplumb bob. I f -Oneof the objects of my invention isto provide a plumb bob supporting mechanism whichis simple, cheap to make, durable, not liable to ,get 'out of order, which maybe readily and quickly operated for obtaining a plumb line through a fioor or ceiling, which canbereadilyoperated byo-ne person, and which eliminates the necessity of going to a floor. above toobtain alplumb line through a hole in said'floory I V F "lhe no'vel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed. TI

*In the accompanying drawing, whichilmamas-the preferedembodiment of my invention, a 7 Figf'lfis-a side elevation, of my 1mroved mechanism, Shown mounted on a oor'andsupporting a plumb bob. A

c Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of my improved mechanism, the supporting members being shown in solid lines in the release or vertical position, and in dotted lines in the supporting position. Y r

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2-taken at l ig flnglcs to the positionshown in Fig. 2.

. ig. 41s. t n of a i h 111' Similar "reference characters designate similarparts in thedifi'erent views.

' designates ayfulcrum member which may comprisea vertical tube having a closed bottom 2, provided with a vertical central hole 8, Fig. 2, The memberl is provided atits upper end with two upwardly eXtending. arms 4:, through which extends a horizontal pin 5,"on which" are pivoted adjacent toitheir lower ends two supporting members 6 and 7, which are'heldspaced apart by a washer 8, mounted on the pin 5.

p f "Itwill be noted that the members 6and 7 by the members, when freeso" to'do, will have their centers of gravity disposed, at opposite sides-respectively of the pin 5,, whereswing by gravity in opposite directions from the vertical position, Shown insolid linesin Fig. 2, to the horizontal position, shown in dotted lines in saidfigure. When the members 6 and 7 are vertically disposed, they with the fulcrummember 1 can be inserted into and througha hole 9 in a floor or ceiling 10.,-If thefmembers 6and 7 are then permitted to, fall, they will swing in oppositefdirections from the vertical to the horizontal position, thus resting on the floor. To hold the members '6 and7in either the vertical position or in the horizontal position, there is slidably mounted in themember 1 a holding. member 11 which is sup.- p'ortedon the upper end of a coil-spring 12,

itheilower'end of which rests on'the bottom 2"oftheifulcrum member. The spring 12 normally forces "the holdingmember 11 against the members 6 and 7. When said members are; vertical, themember 11 bears engagement with the holding member 11, the upper end of a flexible supporting member 13 is attached tocthe member 11, said member. extending downwardly through the coil spring 12 and through the hole 3. The lower end of the member 13supports a plumb bob 14, which may be provided with thefusual friction restrained drum- 15 to which the member 13 is. attached and on which said member is adapted to be Wound.

In the operation of my invention, thev "members'6 and'7 are disposed in the vertical position shown in solid lines in Figs. 2 and 3, and then inserted upwardly through the hole 9 inthe floor or ceiling10 above,-after which the flexible member comprising a cord or wire 13 is pulled downwardly, while-the fulcrum member 1 is held stationary, thus withdrawing downwardly from engagement with the lower ends'of the members 6 and 7, the holding member 11.- The members 6 and 7 will then swing by gravity from the verticalposition shown in solid lines-in Figs.

2, 3 and 4, to thehorizontal position against the-floor, as shown in solid lines in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4. The downward pull on. the flexible member 13 is then removed, thus permitting the spring 12 to -force the member 11 against the lower edgesof'the members 6.. and 7, thus holding the latter in the horizontal position, in which position they will support the remainder of the mechanism. The plumb bob 'lel may then be used in the ordinary manner. After the plumb line has been established, the device may be withdrawn from engagement with the tloor above, by pulling downwardly on the flexible member 13, thus withdrawing the holding member .ll out oil? engagement with the members (3 and 7, upon which, by pulling downwardly on the member 1, the members 6 and iwill told upwardly to the vertical position, in which position they can be readily pulled dowmvardly through the hold 9 for use elsewhere.

Ordinarily in plumbing through a hole which extends through the :floor and ceiling, it is necessary for some one to go from the floor below to atta :h and release the plumb line which extends through the hole in the floor and ceiling. In such case, an additional operator is required located on the floor above, or, it there is but one operator, he has to make two trips to the floor above to attach and release the plumb line. \Vith the use of my invention, but one operator is needed and he can run the dillerent plumb lines through the floor above without having tomake any trips to that floor.

Anydesired type of plumb bob may be used in connection with my plumbing mechanism, the one shown being one with a co1nmon type of cord take-up.

I do not limit my invention to the struc ture shown and described, as many modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is i. In a plumb bob supporting mechanism, a .l'uleru n member, two sumtiorting members having a ans pivotally connecting them to said member by which they may swing by gravity in opposite directions respectively fronrthe perpemlii-ular lo the horizontal, releasable holdii ig means for holding said members in either the horizontal or the vertical position. plumb bob supporting means engaging said holding means and arranged when moved in one direction, to release the holding means from said supporting me1nhers, and means for automatically retracting said holding means to the holding position, substantially as set forth.

2. In a plumb bob supporting mechanism, a 'liulcrum member, two supporting members lmving means pivotally connecting them to said member by which they may swing by gravity in opposite directions respectively from the perpendicular to the horizontal, spring actuated holding means supported by said member and arranged to engage said supporting members for holding them in either the horizontalor the vertical position, and plumb bob supporting means engaging said holding means and. arranged when moved in one direction to release said holding means from said supporting members, substantially as set forth.

3. In a plumb bob supporting mechanism, a fulcrum member, two supporting members having means pivotally connecting them to said member by which they may swing by gravity in (apposite directions respectively from the ])(-3I] )6ll(ll(illlillf to the horizontal, a holding member longitudinally movable on said fulcrlnn member and arranged to en-- gage and relcasably hold said supporting members in either the horizontal or the vertical position, a spring supported by said fulcrum member and engaging and normally forcing said holding member to the holding position, and plumb bob supporting means attached to said holding member and adapted when moved in one direction to withdraw said holding member from the holding position, substantially as set forth.

l. In a plumb bob supporting mechanism,

a lulcriun member, two supporting membershaving means pivotally connecting them to said member by which they may swing by gravity in opposite directions from the perpendicular to the horizontal, said fulcrum member having means arranged to hold each supporting member from swinging by gravity in one direction only, releasable means :l'or holding said supporting members in either the horizontal or the vertical position, means for automatically retracting said holding means to the holding position, and plumb bob supporting means supported by said fulcrum member, substantially as set lorth.

5. In a plumb bob supporting mechanism, a fulcrum member, two supporting members pivoted thereto so as to swing by gravity in opposite directions respectively from the perpendicular to the horizontal, each supporting member having means for being held by the fulcrum member from swinging in onedirection only to the horizontal, a holding member vertically slidable on the fulcrum i'nember and arranged to engage and hold the supporting members in either the horizontal or the vertical position, a spring supported by said fulcrum member and engaging and holding the holding memher in the holding position, and plumb bob supporting means attached to and adapted to be supported by said holding member and adapted when moved in one direction to withdraw the holding member from engagement with said supporting members, substruitially as set forth.

(3. In a plumb bob supporting mechanism, a fulcrum member having a vertical hole, two supporting members pivoted to said fulcrum member and arranged to swing by gravity in opposite directions respectively from the peipendicular to the horizontal, a

bers in either the horizontal or the Vertical position, a vertical coil spring supported at its lower end by said fulcrum member and supporting on its upper end said holding member and arranged to hold the latter in the holding position, and a flexible plumb bob supporting member extending through 10 said hole and attached to and arranged to withdraw said holding member. from the holding position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MICHAEL J. LEARNIHAN. 

